Electrical connector



y 1955 R. K. BILSBOROUGH 2,713,154

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed June 18, 1954 INVENTOR.

ROY K. BILSBOROUGH ATTOR N EYS 7 member.

United ELECTRECAL ooNNnoToR Roy K. Bilsborough, Warwick, R. I., assignorto PattonlvIacGuyer Co., a corporation of Rhotle Island This inventionrelates to coupling devices for electrical conductors and the like andmore particularly to an improvement in electrical connectors in whichinterengaging members can quickly be brought into connecting relationwith each other and as quickly disconnected when desired.

An object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector whichwill mate with a similar connector and thus obviate the need for a maleand female unit.

A further object is to provide a simple and economical unit which willbe formed of one piece with one or more parts thereof being heldtogether under tension.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cable connectorwhich will be adapted to be engaged with a similar unit by laterallysliding the two connectors together so as to resist pulling theconnectors apart longitudinally by tensions applied to the conductorsthemselves.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a pair of connectors lockedtogether;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is another plan view of the connectors interlocked taken fromthe reverse side of that of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a detached perspective view of two connectors in a positionto be interlocked one with the other.

In proceeding with the invention, 1 preferably form, by stamping from asuitable conductive material such as copper, brass, or the like a bladeportion and a wire interengaging portion of a general outlined shape asshown in the drawing. Suitable dies may be provided by which theconnector may be formed with its fingers and oifsets as shown moreparticularly in Figure 4 to provide a unitary structure.

With reference to the drawings, 1 show my improved connector which maybe considered as having two portions, 5 designating the cable connectingportion and 6 designating the blade portion. The cable connectingportion 5 may take any form but is herein shown as comprising a pair ofears 7 and 8 which are adapted to wrap around the insulation and theconductor portion of the wire, respectively, so as to maintain a goodphysical as well as electrical contact. The blade portion 6 of theconnector consists of a generally flat piece of electrically conductingmaterial and is provided with a finger 11 which is cut out of the bodyportion 6 and is pressed outwardly thereof, being otfset as at 12 whereit joins the body The finger 11 is preferably spaced from the bodymember a distance equal to the thickness of the material of which thebody member is formed. Intermediate in the longitudinal dimension of thebody member the latter is ofiset as at 13 with a double bend sub- 0stantially the thickness of the body member, as will be seen 7 moreparticularly by referring to Figure 2. Substantially half of the offsetportion 13 is cut away to form a slot 14 that is adapted to accept theofiset portion 13 of a mating connector. A protuberance or pimple 15 isalso formed in the body member adjacent the finger 11 to provide afunction which will presently be described.

It will be apparent from the drawing that only a single form ofconnector need be provided embodying the features described to effect anefiicient coupling between two conductors. To join two similarconnectors, they may be arranged together as shown in Figure 4 so thatthe slots 14 in the offset portions 13 are opposite each other. The bodymembers may then be slid laterally so that the ends 16 thereof slideover the part 17 adjacent the wire connecting means and so that the ends16 also slide underneath the fingers 11. As complete lateral sliding iseffected, the end portion 16 engages the protuberance 15 which urges theend portion 16 into interlocking relationship with the finger 11 andresists lateral disengagement of the two connectors when slid completelytogether as shown in Figures 1-3. It is desirable that the protuberance15 urge the end portion 16 against the fingers 11 so as to form a tightelectrical contact therewith although it will be apparent that byproperly forming the fingers 11, the protuberance 15 may be dispensedwith so long as a slight deformation occurs when the end 16 is slidunderneath the finger 11.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the connectors wheninterengaged to form the connection shown in Figures 1 to 3 cannot beseparated by a direct force longitudinally of the connection and thatthe only way in which they can be separated is to be slid laterally.Thus, for all practical purposes the connection is secure againstaccidental disconnection.

I claim:

1. In a connector for coupling electric conductors having means forengagement with a wire or the like, a die formed blade portion ofconductive material, an offset extending transversely of said bladeelement at a location substantially midway longitudinally thereof andhaving half of the extent thereof slotted, a finger cut from said bladeportion and ofiset therefrom to extend parallel thereto but spacedtherefrom whereby said connector may be connected with a similar unit,the slotted portion of each unit interlocking with the offset portion ofthe other and the finger of each unit receiving the end portion of theblade element of the other unit when the units are laterally movedtogether.

2. A connector as in claim 1 wherein a protuberance is formed on saidblade portion adjacent said finger to urge a mating connector againstsaid finger.

3. A connector as in claim 1 wherein said finger is spaced from saidblade portion a distance equal to the thickness of said blade portion.

4. A connector for coupling electric conductors having means forengagement with a wire or the like, said connector including a bladeportion extending from said means, an offset extending transversely ofsaid blade portion at a location substantially midway longitudinallythereof and having half of the extent thereof slotted whereby saidconnector can be connected with a similar unit, the slotted portion ofeach unit interlocking with the offset portion of the other when theunits are laterally moved together, and means on each blade portion tohold the blade portion of the other unit in contact therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

